Barricades
by Chaos's Prototype
Summary: The road to recovery is difficult on its own. The barriers they keep putting up, the obstacles to work around, are only making it worse.


**A/N: **It's the North American anniversary of _Chain of Memories_! :party: I found out around a week ago about the anniversary and actually had an idea I'd already been working with that fit so...here you are.

Post-Canon AU. Repliku was the thirteenth vessel in the neo-Organization, but survived past Xehanort's defeat. Unfortunately, due to processes that were used to suppress his free will, he's in a much worse state, mentally and physically, than the rest of the surviving members of the new Organization.

By the way, 'Verus' is Latin for true, but can also mean real.

**Spoilers: **Minor spoilers for _Dream Drop Distance_. An event in _Re: Chain of Memories _is alluded to.

* * *

Within the past few days, many things had happened: The war against Xehanort had finally ended, the surviving members of the new Organization had returned to where they belonged—including Braig, for better or worse—and a valuable specimen had been returned to him.

_Of course_ Braig would return it broken.

"What are we going to do with him?" Ienzo asked, wincing as the Riku replica let out another wordless scream, struggling pointlessly against Dilan's grip.

"Stay far away from him," Dilan grumbled, shaking the experiment restrained in his arms. He just shouted again. "Or did you mean apart from what you're all doing at the moment?"

"Hey, _I'm _right here," Braig reminded him, smirking at Even from across the room.

"I'll come back over there when that stupid creature stops trying to attack me," he snapped. The product of pure research, now little more than a feral animal...Oh, Braig would pay for this.

Braig just laughed, the insufferable man. "You _made_ that stupid creature."

"He could walk when I made him," Even argued, raising his voice to be heard as the replica started screaming even louder. He distinctly heard someone mutter _'Why won't someone gag him?'_ from behind him. If only. "And he could speak, instead of screaming like a tortured animal."

"We have to keep him," Aeleus said abruptly, watching through narrowed eyes as the replica slowly calmed again. The outbursts didn't last long. "It's not likely anyone else will."

"Not that they would be able to stand him even if they were willing to try," Dilan muttered.

"And Braig _is _partially responsible for the state he's in," Even pointed out, glaring at him. The only question was how exactly to punish him. What did the price of sabotaging account to in the old Garden, again?

Not that it mattered; that time was far behind them. Ansem's rules no longer applied.

Braig mocked an offended look. "You're blaming me for your screw ups?"

"Might as well return the favor," Dilan said softly, amused.

The comment only prompted a brief gesture in the other man's direction, a "Wasn't talking to you", and then Braig's attention circled back around to Even. "Kid was messed up when we got to him, from what I heard. That mean you get a third of the credit?"

"He could _walk_," Even repeated, resisting the urge to throttle Braig for suggesting that the deteriorated state of the replica was even partly his fault. The flaws of the original were impossible to avoid, but this was far from that. "Now, he can't even stand on his own."

"Good thing Dilan's got an iron grip on him, huh?" Braig said, an infuriatingly knowing look in his eyes. He gave that shark-like grin of his. "Don't you think?" What exactly he knew was something else entirely.

Even looked back at the replica, examining him as best he could from a distance. "On the other hand," he started, already starting to formulate a series of tests in his mind. "this does present an usual circumstance. We can't ignore that."

"Actually," Ienzo spoke up. "we can. As much as he might seem Braig's responsibility, or an unusual test subject, the decision is still ours to make."

"Let's put it to a vote then," Braig suggested, raising his own hand up into the air. "Anyone in favor of keeping him, say aye."

It met three 'ayes' and one hand raise. Four to one.

Braig held up his hand again. "Now the other side. Anyone not in favor-" A pointless pause, presumably for an attempt at exaggerated tension. "-is Ienzo."

Ienzo looked around at the others in disbelief. "Honestly? None of you share my opinion?"

"I think we're surprised _you _share your opinion," Braig said, then shrugged. "Either way; majority rules. He stays."

* * *

The recovery process started slow, and would likely continue that way. Several days later, the replica had still yet to speak, though his physical function had improved a bit. He now had enough muscle rigidity to sit up on his own, and to even stand for periods of time.

Not to stay that it wasn't _incredibly infuriating _that they even had to go through this process. It would be months, at least, before he regained full function. Even had to resist the urge to whack Braig with his clipboard when he acknowledged it could potentially be years if it didn't go well.

"Pretty sure I've not heard a word out of him since Xehanort brought him back," Braig said as Even contemplated how dangerous a mus-firing ice spell would be to himself.

"Considering you suppressed his mental processes to such a degree, that shouldn't be surprising," Even muttered. If he had retained his affinity, it shouldn't be much, he thought.

"Yeah, but..." Braig gestured vaguely. "Before that part. I had to keep an eye on him a few times, when we were still getting the equipment working."

"And you never thought to ask?" Even demanded.

"We were working on a clock. We _should've _got the thirteenth sooner; we had to work quick."

It belatedly struck Even how strange it was that they were so casually discussing Xehanort and the second Organization. That would have been unheard of among any of the other groups involved. It would be unheard of from _them _if there had been any of the other groups around. Even Braig had to have a single scrap of common sense, somewhere buried deep, deep inside of him. Somewhere.

"I suppose that is why he's so broken, then?" Even muttered.

Braig rolled his eye. "You know why he's broken. I was honestly surprised he didn't keel over right then and there once Xehanort's presence was gone. Not sure how he can think on his own enough to remember you, let alone try to act on it."

This time it was Even who looked back at the replica, walking over to examine him while he was still docile. "The original was enough of an anomaly on his own," he murmured. "I wonder how much of that carried over to him..."

He heard Braig open the door across the room, the man calling back, "You know, you look like you're gonna be busy for a while. If he starts flipping out again, be sure to get someone else."

* * *

Another two weeks later, the replica could walk consistently, without needing to stop every few minutes. He didn't respond well to anyone's instances to perform actions, but seemed less angry on the few occasions that someone acknowledged his progress. Even had made a note that he seemed incapable of making such connections on his own.

Up until now, in the nearly a month since he had been in the castle, he had yet to say so much as a word. Whether this was a suggestion of an increase in mental processes or another physical accomplishment would need to be looked into.

While taking a blood draw for testing purposes, the experiment had shoved him away. That in itself was hardly anything unusual; he had reacted negatively to it more times than Even cared to count. What drew his notice was the strangled, hardly intelligible word "no" that accompanied the reaction.

Even didn't say anything for a moment, and actually moved farther away from him to keep out of the immediate range of attacks. When he approached again, he grinned, the still unfamiliar emotion of excitement sparking inside of him.

The replica fought him harder this time, growling the same word repeatedly, kicking, punching, and thrashing until Even finally let go of him again.

_...Intriguing._

* * *

Another two and a half weeks, another bit of progress. The replica had gone from only being capable of one word to speaking in fractured sentences. Unfortunately, with his new speech, he had only been growing more and more uncooperative. For example, his latest issue:

"He's insisting we call him 'Verus' now," Ienzo said, leaning back against the wall next to Even.

Braig looked at the young man oddly, chuckling. "Pretty weird request. I didn't even know he knew Latin."

"It was the only way I could make him do as I said," Ienzo explained, shrugging as if he hadn't simply fed the replica's obsession with having a separate identity than the original's. As if he didn't even _recall _it.

"Why would you give in to him?" Even demanded in exasperation. "You're only making it worse."

"At least I'm not the one who provokes him."

Before Even could reply, Aeleus spoke up. "He must think we're a agreeing with him," he thought aloud.

"That's precisely the _point_," Even ground out. "We can't simply give into his whims whenever he pleases. The thought that you would all do such a thing, that you would think _I _would do it, is completely insulting. He _isn't _real, and I refuse to pretend he is simply because he won't stay still while I collect samples."

"Yeah, Even," Braig started, sarcastically. "I really think-"

"Unless he is real," Dilan suddenly said, offering no further explanation for the statement.

"That's absurd," Ienzo immediately dismissed. "The very idea..." Even would have agreed with him, if it wouldn't seem like he was validating Ienzo's earlier naming of the creature.

"Actually," Braig said, looking unusually thoughtful. "somebody brought back some of Poppet's DNA back in the last Organization. Can't remember why, special request from the boss man, I think. And when we tested it..." He laughed, grinning in a way that made it seem that even he had a hard time believing it. "It didn't match the signature from before. It was weird, but she wasn't a replica when we ran the test."

"And if Xion was real, then the Riku Replica could be," Aeleus finished. "Dilan could have a point."

As insane as it sounded...Even couldn't ignore the possibility that, by some flaw in the Replica Project, both of his main subjects had somehow changed since they had been created. He left the room quickly, heading directly for the replica's observation room.

* * *

_This is impossible, _were the only thoughts running through Even's mind when he read the results a few days later, going over them in as thorough detail possible, as many times as he could, to verify that he had read them correctly. It had to be a mistake.

"I'm real," the replica said from behind him, a dazed, if faintly delighted, look across his face and in his eyes. His still progressing recovery apparently made it difficult for him to express feelings that weren't rage or displeasure. Or so he had to assume, based on the evidence. "I'm finally _really _real."

"That's ridiculous," Even insisted, looking over the results again, frustrated with how his answer never changed. "Even if this mutations in your DNA aren't simply a mechanical error, that doesn't mean you're correct.

The replica stared at him in shock. It was honestly fairly satisfying, at least to some degree.

"They could have been caused by the procedures Braig and Xehanort performed on you. If anything," he added, turning back around to face the wall so that his cruel smile wouldn't be seen. "this only means you are broken, possibly even more so than we expected."

Even didn't have to be looking at the replica to know when the shock twisted into rage. He did, however, become suspicious when he didn't suddenly lunge towards him. Glancing back, the replica was grasping at air, starting to gasp shallowly after a few moments, closing one hand repeatedly on nothing.

This time, Even didn't particularly care if he saw his smile. "Magic is such a complicated thing, isn't it? I would be surprised if you regained the ability to use it within the next few months."

Then came the flash of darkness that announced Soul Eater's arrival, the sword held firmly in his hand. "I guess I'm just full of surprises," he forced out with difficulty. The replica was having trouble remaining upright, it looked like, but that didn't stop him. He slowly pushed himself off of the examination table, falling hard down onto his feet.

Even nearly backed into the table behind him. "H-how did you-?"

The replica suddenly collapsed to the floor, his legs giving way. He groaned, trying and failing to push himself back up. Within seconds, he began to lose the battle to stay conscious.

"Even when you surpass my expectations," Even said in disbelief and disgust, watching as he passed out on the floor. "you are still pathetic."

* * *

His progress didn't approach the level it previously had for several weeks afterward, due to the strain of what he had done. It was such a ridiculous action; Even had forgotten how truly unintelligent the replica's actions often were.

"You seem to be doing well," Aeleus told the replica, as Even took notes on any changes in his physical and mental condition. "That's good. We were concerned that you might have done permanent damage to your recovery."

"What he means to say," Even couldn't help but add. "Is that your attempt to attack me was not only pointless, but also _idiotic_." The replica just stared at him, expression blank, the picture of incomprehension. "Please, take your time. I'm sure it must take a while for what few working brain cells you have left to form something as complicated as a sentence."

Aeleus looked back at him in warning. "Even-"

"I hate you," the replica said flatly, cutting him off. Then he suddenly started trying to shove past Aeleus, slamming all of his body weight into the man. He started making the same motions with one hand as he had before, when he was summoning his sword. "I _hate _you!"

Aeleus tried to convince him to stop, ordering and pressing his arm down against the table. It didn't work at first, the replica still trying to escape Aeleus's grip, before he abruptly went limp in the man's arms.

"You sedated him," Even realized a moment later as Aeleus laid him back down, the experiment staring blearily up at the ceiling.

Aeleus didn't offer an confirmation, only: "This can't keep happening."

* * *

"He's going to completely destroy his progress at this rate," Aeleus said, shaking his head, once they had met with the others again. "He isn't ready for any of what he's been attempting."

"Does this mean he's leaving?" Ienzo wondered.

Even was not going to lose another specimen; that was completely out of the question. "_If _he leaves, I have to be able to periodically perform testsand collect data," he told them. "That is not negotiable."

"I suppose that rules out Lea," Dilan muttered. "He wouldn't let any of us near him."

Ienzo shook his head, saying, "Not that it particularly matters. I doubt Lea and the replica would get along, regardless."

After a long pause, Braig sighed offhandedly called out Aerith's name.

"She wouldn't agree to Even's conditions," Aeleus argued, frowning. "Otherwise, we might have tried that."

"Unfortunately, anyone who would agree to them likely isn't very fond of the replica." Dilan glanced at Braig, raising an eyebrow. A silent _'And whose fault is that?'_ hung in the air.

"Hey, I didn't order the attack on the Garden," Braig defended, looking genuinely irritated this time. "I was too busy with...other things." He waved dismissively. "It's not important; just forget about it."

"_The attack_ on the Garden?"

"Shut up."

"Ignoring that," Aeleus said before anyone could continue. "The rest of the Restoration Committee is out, for obvious reasons."

"What about Merlin?" Braig suddenly asked after several more long moments of no one saying anything.

The _wizard_? "What are you going on about now?" Even demanded.

"Hey, he might not like us, but I bet he'd take someone away from us," Braig explained, grinning.

"Why would he agree to bring him back every week or so, though?" Ienzo asked.

"Because it's important, and he's not the kind of suspicious that immediately thinks we have to be lying to him every time something works in our favor. Unlike some people."

When no one objected, Braig looked back at Even. As he opened his mouth to speak, Even cut him off. "Fine. Just make sure he agrees." At least this way he wouldn't have to deal with the replica consistently. This way, he would only have to fix him once. He shouldn't have had to fix him at all.


End file.
